flying humanoid character creation

[Aelwyn]

I'm working on a flying humanoid as a possible character race. This is for a non-magical, science fiction setting, with mutations being the only powers. The beings are genetically modified humans. Their wings are part of their arms, and they fold back behind their arms when they're on the ground. They can use three fingers and a thumb when they're on the ground, but they can't use weapons or tools with their hands while flying.

I'm struggling with the SIZ characteristic, because if we're being even nominally scientifically accurate, these creatures would be extremely lightweight, but would have extremely long arms/wings. So I'm picturing them as about 2 m/7 feet tall with a wingspan of 4 m/14 feet. But they would weigh only about 30 kg/65 pounds. Those numbers may be unrealistic--I'm not an aeronautics engineer. But they're about halfway between a California condor and an average pteranodon.

My first thought was to give them a reduced SIZ characteristic--this would reduce their HP and damage bonus but make them more agile and able to squeeze through small openings. (They're tall, but they're much thinner than normal humans.) Then add a special rule that when their height is being considered, double the size characteristic; when their wingspan is being considered, triple the size characteristic. (Not sure when that would be used--Aura attacks, maybe? I've already established that they can't fly indoors or in thick woods.)

Here is my first stab at characteristics. The SIZ is a compromise between their huge height and minuscule weight, with some consideration toward making them a playable race. POW doesn't have a lot of game effects in this world; it's mostly for luck rolls and resistance against psychic attacks, which are rare.

STR 2D6+6

CON 3D6

SIZ 2D6+1

INT 2D6+6

POW 2D6+6

DEX 3D6+3

What do you think? Is this playable? Is it realistic? Would you want to play a flying character with these characteristics?

Edited October 19, 2013 by Aelwyn

[seneschal]

I think you're on the right track. With hollow bones, etc., the wing men's SIZ would be based on weight rather than wingspan or height. I'd probably lower their CON a bit, too, since they are inherently more fragile than someone with a more solid bone structure. I don't think you need special rules for variable SIZ. It's just that, like an open umbrella, they simply won't fit certain places regardless of what their characteristic is.

Other related mutations might be enhanced vision (they're literally eagle-eyed) and perhaps prehensile feet (to assist in perching). Their specialized feet might in turn reduce their ground movement from the usual 10 to 8, despite the length of stride a 7-foot person would have -- unless you figure the stride and the feet cancel each other out.

Another approach might be to keep the 14-foot wingspan but make the wing men only 4- to 5-feet tall. Thus they'd have tiny bodies like a pteranodon but outrageously long arms.

Edited October 19, 2013 by seneschal

[Aelwyn]

Right with you on the enhanced vision and prehensile feet. The prehensile feet are probably going to be a given, but they're limited to picking up one small object or clinging to branches, buildings, etc. Maybe give them a bonus to Climb skill, which would be used rarely, since they can fly. Enhanced vision may be an optional mutation, but I already thought about giving it to one of the pre-rolled characters. And they've got a nice drop-kick attack from above.

I wanted to keep their CON high for two reasons: to keep their hit points high enough that people would actually want to play them, and because they were genetically engineered for harsh environments and are pretty hardy despite having thin bones. Lower hit points due to SIZ, but good disease- and radiation-resistance.

I agree that 4- to 5-feet tall with short legs would be more realistic for a flyer. I had two reasons for making them tall, but I'm not sure they're good reasons. One is that I had already developed a playable race that was short, and I didn't want two. The other is aesthetic--I thought they would look cooler as tall, skinny humanoids who could flare out their enormous wings, instead of waddling around on tiny legs and large prehensile feet. Not very scientific or realistic, but I want to make sure a few people choose to play these characters.

An alternative might be to make these guys short and the other race taller--but I'm not sure that would work.

I might decrease their SIZ a little more. Thinking about 1D4+1. That would give them an average SIZ of 6, an average db of None (but on the low end so some would get -1D4), and average HP of 8.5 or so. And there's no reason they can't be 1.7 meters/5 foot 7 instead of super-tall. That might even make them a little more appealing.

I like the idea of reducing their ground movement--I think I'm going to steal that.

[MatteoN]

Lower hit points due to SIZ, but good disease- and radiation-resistance.

I agree.

The other is aesthetic--I thought they would look cooler as tall, skinny humanoids who could flare out their enormous wings

Yeah, they're like Night Gaunts, and Night Gaunts are cool.

I might decrease their SIZ a little more.

Perhaps you might decrease their STR; maybe they fly because they're light and have a huge wingspan, not because they're strong.

Edited October 19, 2013 by MatteoN

[RosenMcStern]

Sounds cool, and quite realistic.

Right with you on the enhanced vision and prehensile feet. The prehensile feet are probably going to be a given, but they're limited to picking up one small object or clinging to branches, buildings, etc. Maybe give them a bonus to Climb skill, which would be used rarely, since they can fly.

Fliers are awful climbers. They should have a penalty, not a bonus.

Enhanced vision may be an optional mutation, but I already thought about giving it to one of the pre-rolled characters. And they've got a nice drop-kick attack from above.

From which kind of birds/bats/ptero did they evolve? If their avian ancestors were birds of prey, they should have Super Sense (Acute Vision) as standard racial enhancement. Use the Super Power as a template to differentiate from Mutations that are given on an individual basis.

I wanted to keep their CON high for two reasons: to keep their hit points high enough that people would actually want to play them, and because they were genetically engineered for harsh environments and are pretty hardy despite having thin bones. Lower hit points due to SIZ, but good disease- and radiation-resistance.

Then I think your stats are wrong. For a humanoid, CON is always 3D6 average, no matter its SIZ. High CON mins higher than 10, not higher than SIZ. Give them 2D6+6 CON to keep their HP slightly worse than human average. STR on the contrary has no reason to be so high. 3D6 means that they are as strong as your average human (who weighs three times as much), 2D6+6 means they can easily lift five to six times their weight: too much.

I would go with 2D4+2 for SIZ rather than 2D6+1 to avoid a lower limit of 3 and to offset the enhanced CON a little bit. This would yield an average HP score of 10 and no DB with a high chance of -1D4 for smaller or weaker specimens. Flying charges could increase DB by one step.

[Aelwyn]

From which kind of birds/bats/ptero did they evolve?

They're human--but genetically engineered, with some bat DNA and a few other secret ingredients.

If their avian ancestors were birds of prey, they should have Super Sense (Acute Vision) as standard racial enhancement. Use the Super Power as a template to differentiate from Mutations that are given on an individual basis.

This is a relatively low-powered world, so I'm trying to keep superpowers out of it, but I might consider that.

Then I think your stats are wrong. For a humanoid, CON is always 3D6 average, no matter its SIZ. High CON mins higher than 10, not higher than SIZ. Give them 2D6+6 CON to keep their HP slightly worse than human average. STR on the contrary has no reason to be so high. 3D6 means that they are as strong as your average human (who weighs three times as much), 2D6+6 means they can easily lift five to six times their weight: too much.

I would go with 2D4+2 for SIZ rather than 2D6+1 to avoid a lower limit of 3 and to offset the enhanced CON a little bit. This would yield an average HP score of 10 and no DB with a high chance of -1D4 for smaller or weaker specimens. Flying charges could increase DB by one step.

So... something like this? This fits with how I picture the character--fast and lithe, very lightweight but long-limbed, strong for their size but not super-strong, resistant to disease and mental illness, vulnerable to physical attack. Good scouts, good stealthy characters, not great fighters but they can hold their own with a spear.

STR 3D6

CON 2D6+6

SIZ 2D4+2

INT 2D6+6

POW 2D6+6

DEX 3D6+3

APP 3D6 (or maybe a bonus because they're tall and imposing?)

HP 10 average

db None average, but a high percentage of individuals with -1D4

[RosenMcStern]

This is a relatively low-powered world, so I'm trying to keep superpowers out of it, but I might consider that.

Using a passive super power is the standard way in the BGB to describe an ability that a mundane creature possesses beyond human capabilities. For instance, Dwarfs and Elfs are described as having the equivalent of Super Sense (Night Vision) or Super Sense (Dark Vision) to avoid repeating the description. A simple increase in a Perception skill can express this, or you may need a power if they can do something really unusual.

So... something like this? This fits with how I picture the character

Yeah, looks both cool to play and play-balanced. The high POW is already enough to explain the fact that thay look impressive.